Squad 44 Review – A Battle Hardened Experience

During my playthrough of Squad 44, I was repeatedly reminded of the horrible realities of World War II. The game portrays war’s brutality realistically, which became apparent as I spent hours in this multiplayer squad-based shooter.

Originally started as a mod for Squad called Post Scriptum, Squad 44 has now rebranded. Does it capture the intensity of war successfully, or is it just another generic World War II shooter? Find out in my Squad 44 review.

Story And Setting

I want to highlight its unique approach to storytelling. Like other multiplayer shooters, it doesn’t have a linear narrative or a single-player story campaign. Instead, it presents players with various battle scenarios from World War II. The game provides enough historical details to make you feel like you’re in the action. Squad 44 is perfect for history buffs who enjoy action-packed gameplay.

Accurately Depicted Battles and Battlefields

Squad 44 realistically simulates the experience of full-scale battles during World War II. The developers did a great job creating the battles to accurately reflect actual events from that time. At first, I was surprised by the size of the battles, but once I got the hang of it, it was pure chaos for me and my team.

Imagine yourself fighting for control of bridges during Operation Market Garden and helping your allies push towards the northern Germany region for victory. This ambitious attempt to seize control did happen in real life but was met with failure. However, in Squad 44, you can change the course of history and prove your worth.

Squad 44 realistically simulates the experience of full-scale battles during World War II. 

Similarly, other battles perfectly replicate real-life events, with the most notable addition being the Battle of Rethynmo in the latest patch. Just a heads up! Pushing towards a single objective with your assigned squad amidst a hailing barrage of missiles and gunfire can be intense for people with weak hearts.

Gameplay

Let’s talk about Squad 44’s best feature: the gritty, realism-brimmed gameplay that sets it apart from most shooters nowadays. Most battle scenarios revolve around the single objective of defending and advancing toward key enemy areas. 

To win against the enemy, you can’t do it alone. Good communication is essential for success when working together as a team. Fortunately, the game’s sound design is excellent, and voice chat makes it easier to understand and share messages during the chaos of battle.

Different Roles, Single Purpose

Squad 44 does not rely on the gun-and-run mechanic; instead, it offers multiple roles for players. I had difficulty figuring out my place in the team, so I settled for being a Rifleman, the game’s player-friendly class.

Machine Gunners are your best bet at suppressing enemies’ advances and making your way through the bridge to the other side. But my favorite would be Grenadiers, who do precisely what the name suggests: They chuck grenades at enemy checkposts and vehicles. But don’t be too ambitious; one wrong grenade could wipe out your whole squad.

Squad 44 does not rely on the gun-and-run mechanic; instead, it offers multiple roles for players.

Squad 44 unpredictability can be addictive or annoying, depending on your playstyle. One moment, you are looking at the silver lining right in front of you, and the very next second, you are lying on the ground, bleeding. That’s where Medic players shine. With enough willpower, you can reach your injured squadmates through the barrage of gunfire and give them the morphine dose they need.

Steep Learning Curve For New Players

It is nowhere near as intense and excruciating as Escape From Tarkov, a video game that seems to have spawned from hell. But Squad 44 has a few tricks up its sleeves that make it challenging for new players. 

Squad 44 unpredictability can be addictive or annoying, depending on your playstyle

There is no minimap of some sort. You can access a larger map to pinpoint your location and squad respawn point, but that’s all you must work with. On a seemingly large map, you are at the mercy of enemy snipers and bullets barely grazing past. Know your surroundings and rely on audio cues to escape.

I accidentally shot my teammate during the game and apologized. It would be helpful if the game had indicators like bullet trails or visual direction pointers to avoid such accidents. But some part of me is happy with the insane difficulty level we have right now. It adds another layer of challenging fun to the game that most games miss nowadays.

Limited Loadout, Limited Customization

Your weapon loadout is highly dependent on your squad selection and composition. There are no extensive options to customize your loadout. Once you select your role, you will be given a few options. Rifleman holds the most advantage over long-range executions, while machine gunners feel unstoppable in the right hands.

The Call of Duty lover in me would have adored some customization options, but Squad 44 isn’t your typical World Wars shooter game or a battle royale.

You can select from preset load-outs, including a primary weapon, a secondary weapon, and some utility options such as grenades and smokes. Depending on your role selection, you are provided with a role-specific gadget. You have the complete freedom to master your loadout according to the role you want to play. 

The Call of Duty lover in me would have adored some customization options, but Squad 44 isn’t your typical World Wars shooter game or a battle royale. Soldiers need a specific loadout and enough tools not to compromise their movement or pacing during a gunfight. Relocating after a gunfight can be the difference between life and death.

Visuals And Performance

If you cannot immerse yourself in the gameplay, there is no point in indulging yourself in a realism-based video game. Luckily, the Squad 44 setting and War backdrop significantly work in your favor and deliver great visuals that can affect your gameplay.

Squad 44’s visuals are more than your casual eye candy. As soon as you launch this game, you are thrown into the middle of violent conflict, with stunning backgrounds and highly detailed explosion effects that paint the brutality of war on your screens. But amidst all this chaos, I experienced a few hiccups during the performance and some massive FPS stutters, which was worrisome at the least.

Weapons, Battles, And Flawed Performance

I admire the developers’ ambitiousness to deliver the grand spectacle of human history through the eye of a common soldier. Still, if we talk about immersive gameplay, I was distracted by significant performance issues on my PC setup, which boasts RX 6600. I was surprised to see the game performance remained consistent and unchanged, whether I crank the graphics to the high or drop it down to the minimum.

During action-packed gameplay, I experienced a few stutters, which was no big deal, but then the air bombardment came raining down. That’s when I saw massive lag and stuttering. It was a sight, but unoptimized gameplay pulled me out of the experience. Texture and animation appear clunky and lack realism. Some details on grass and buildings are too smooth for a gritty game.

Verdict

Squad 44 is an excellent first-person shooter game, although there is room for improvement in optimization.

The game’s rebranding was a positive step, and cosmetic DLCs were added this year to fund the game’s development, which is acceptable by industry standards. The future seems bright for Squad 44, and I cannot wait to see what the developers have in store for us.

That’s all I have to say about Squad 44 review. Feel free to explore our other excellent reviews.

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